An investigation and manhunt are underway after six lions were poisoned and butchered at a South African wildlife sanctuary.

“We are so sad to announce that we have lost six lions from poaching, three white lions, and three brown lions,” said the wildlife park in a Facebook post.

Graphic images posted to the social media site shows four of the lions butchered with their heads decapitated and paws cut off. Two of the lions killed were white males, two male and female brown juveniles (around 3-4 years), and two hand-reared, bottle-fed six-month-old cubs.

IFLScience spoke with a representative from the park, who said police called the park’s owner around 4:30 am on Saturday. Patrolling officers had chased a group of people acting suspiciously in the lion area, but it wasn’t until an employee went to feed the lions a few hours later that staff discovered the crime scene.

“It was only when the worker in charge of feeding the lions shouted in shock around 7 am that we realized what had happened,” said the representative. “He discovered the remains of the butchered lions in their cage."

All electrical fencing was intact and a backpack containing staff clothing was recovered, leaving some to speculate it was an inside job.

Conflicts between predatory cats and landowners continues to be a contentious issue around the world, from Indonesia to the United States. Two other cases of lion poisonings have been reported this year alone in what some report as “retribution killings” in response to locals being pushed out by wildlife sanctuary boundaries and protections.

South Africa also has contentious wildlife policies, including a prolific role in the exportation of lion body parts. A report released earlier this year suggests South Africa's export quota of 800 lion skeletons makes it the world's largest legal exporter of lion bones for traditional Chinese medicine in Asia. With a captive lion population of around 7,000-8,000 animals in 260 facilities, the nation is also considered a top destination for trophy hunting. 

However, staff at the park note they cannot yet say what motive someone might have in killing their lions.

“We are not so sure yet and therefore we cannot speculate,” they said. “We are just so puzzled about the whole ordeal and this is a police case. We are waiting patiently for a fruitful outcome of the investigation.”

Mystic Monkeys & Feathers Wildlife Park in South Africa is a zoo awarded sanctuary status and a member of the Pan-African Association of Zoos and Aquaria. 

The following images are graphic.

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